Aya Sophia, 4/1/2006 - Event Horizon

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The Wishing Column690 viewsThis column, located in the northwestern part of Aya Sophia, has a hole in the middle left uncovered by the bronze plates surrounding it. Legend has it that if one puts one's thumb in the hole while making a wish, the wish will be granted.

View from the Narthex689 viewsLooking into the interior of the church through one of the doors in the narthex. The scaffolding seen on the right in this picture enabled workers to climb to the dome to perform repair work.

Corners689 viewsAt each corner of the square formed by the upper galleries, there is an exedra - a semicircular columned recess which relieves the starkness of sharp corners and provides nooks for conversation.

Masked Man688 viewsAttila warned us that there was a danger of avian flu and told us that we should wear masks to Aya Sophia. I had brought some surgical masks to wear on airplane flights, so this was an opportunity to make good use of them.

Marble Steps685 viewsWorn down by many centuries of foot traffic.

Trying His Luck680 viewsDavid Lindquist tries his luck at the Wishing Column. According to the legend, many people have been cured of illness after touching this column. David wasn't sick at the time, so this was not a valid test of that part of the legend.

Full Veil678 viewsA strict Islamic family visits the upper gallery of Aya Sophia.

Cenotaph677 viewsActually, this isn't really his tomb, which was destroyed by the Turks when they conquered Constantinople. It is a marker, or cenotaph, placed by Italians in the 19th century near the probable site of the tomb.

Deësis Mosaic676 viewsDeësis = Entreaty. The Virgin Mary (left) and John the Baptist (right) are entreating Christ (center) to intercede for humanity on Judgment Day. This mosaic was commissioned to celebrate the return of Aya Sophia to the Orthodox Church on the demise of the Latin Empire in 1261.

The Comnenus Mosaic676 viewsDates from 1122. The Virgin Mary is in the center, holding the Christ child; on the left is Emperor John Comnenus; on the right is Empress Irene, a daughter of King Ladislas I of Hungary.

Lustration Urn675 viewsDavid Lindquist with his mascot bear Hero kneels next to one of two huge urns carved from single blocks of marble. They date from the Hellenistic era - 300 BC or so - but were brought here from Pergamon during the reign of Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595).

Grand Bazaar675 viewsThe Kapalıçarşı ("covered market") is one of the oldest and largest indoor malls in the world. It traces its beginnings to shortly after the Turkish conquest, and since then has grown to over 4,000 shops distributed over 61 covered avenues.

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